Seattle’s Gang of Four

Larry Gossett and Bob Santos were two members of Seattle’s "Gang of Four." In the social turmoil of the 1960s and '70s, four Seattle political activists came of age: Roberto Maestas from the Latino community, Native American activist Bernie Whitebear, Bob Santos of the Asian community, and Black Panther leader Larry Gossett. They went on to lead social service agencies for their respective communitites. Santos is the co-author of “Gang of Four: Four Leaders. Four Communities. One Friendship." Santos and Gossett talk about how they formed a coalition and what they accomplished. Santos died in 2016. Gossett was a King County Council member for 26 years before he was defeated for re-election in 2022.

Front Robert Maestas, Bernie Whitebear, Larry Gosett. Back row Bob Santos